SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has the right to launch a pre-emptive attack against U.S.-backed South Korean forces because the two Koreas are technically still at war, the communist state's official media said on Tuesday.

The comments came as North Korea shows its displeasure with annual joint South Korean-U.S. military exercises, which Pyongyang has said are a preparation for an invasion of its territory.

A spokesman for the North's Korea People's Army (KPA) said distrust is high between the United States and North Korea, and Pyongyang "will never remain a passive onlooker to the U.S. pre-emptive attack on the DPRK," its official news agency reported.

DPRK is short for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

"The KPA side is of the view that a pre-emptive attack is not (the) monopoly of the U.S. and the DPRK, too, has the right to pre-empt an attack as the most effective and positive act for self-defense in the light of the hard reality that the DPRK and the U.S. sides are still technically at war," the spokesman was cited as saying.

The 1950-1953 Korean War ended in a truce and not a peace treaty meaning that the two Koreas are technically still at war. The United States led U.N. forces in defense of South Korea and signed the armistice agreement in that capacity.

U.S. and South Korean forces will stage annual field exercises from March 25 to March 31 designed to coordinate defenses of the southern half of the peninsula.

"The KPA will follow with a high degree of vigilance the grave situation prevailing on the Korean peninsula due to the projected war maneuvers and keep itself fully ready to go into action to cope with any event on its own initiative," the spokesman said.

North Korea has said the joint drills are an impediment to progress in six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons programs.

The last round of the talks among the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the United States was held in November 2005.

The talks have hit a snag over Washington's decision to crack down on firms it suspects of helping North Korea in illicit activity such as counterfeiting.

North Korea has said it is unthinkable for it to return to the talks while Washington is trying to topple its leaders through the financial measures.

Washington, Seoul and others have said the crackdown is a matter for law enforcement and not related to the six-party talks.

In previous years, North Korea has placed its civil defense system on high alert at the time of the joint drills that have been taking place for four decades.

There are about 30,000 U.S. troops in South Korea in support of some 690,000 South Korean troops. The North has about 1.2 million troops.

Originally Posted By xinflt:So far, N. Korea can't walk it like it talks it. Just like in the beginning of the Korean War, they'll make initial gains and victories. In the long run, they'll get over-run.

The problem it is tough to tell when you are dealing with a crazy person because they are so unpredictable.

The thing is N. Kor can barely feed its own population without handouts. The thing is, most people in the USA are sympathic to the N. Kor govt caused mass starvation of their people, so we allow food aid to N. Kor. which allows the N Kor to shift that resource to weapons production.

Originally Posted By shop_rat45:WW3 (4 or whatever) the axis of evil will be:

IranChinaN. Korea

That's my prediction.

In the "new axis" N. Korea trying out for the role of Italy. Funny how similar today's N. Korea is with 1940's Italy. There's also little doubt which roles the other two are taking either. Iran gets the first nuke in my book.

The best parts are when they show Kim's huge collection of "gifts" from foreigners. In a museum. Things like TVs, a car, coffee mugs, etc.

The next room contained more gifts from the South, including a Hyundai Grandeur donated by the former chairman of Hyundai (whose family is originally from the North). Mr. Huk asked me if I had ever seen one of these cars during my time in the South. When I said, "sure, my neighbor has one just like it," he gave me another one of his 'you have to be lying' looks. How could such a great gift, a gift implying so much respect, belong to some normal person like my neighbor? This was obviously a car reserved for the elite, capitalist oppressors, not some common car for the masses. When I told him I wished the chairman had given away a lot more so there'd be less traffic in the South he got fed up with my obvious lies, gave me a disgusted look and moved on to talk to someone else.

What else is funny is that NK will haul out the full on official tour for a couple of regular guys.

So who gives a rat's ass. The NKs couldn't sustain an attack for more than a few weeks. Their economy sucks, their infrastructure sucks, their leadership sucks and the combined forces of the SKs and the USA would mop up the field with their sorry asses.

Just more blather on the part of that little attention whore Kim.

"History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid." Dwight D. Eisenhower

Originally Posted By howster:they do this shit every year its corbra gold training op. they get over it

Exactly. They had a bigger fit when there was a Team Spirit. Pucker factor always went up. Only thing that NK has an advantage on is the arty and numbers of soldiers. South Korea can defend themselves with all their upgrades in the last 20 years. Not to say it would be jacked up over there. US forces would help out tremendously in air to air and counter battery missions. It would be basically a light infantry fight anyway.